The Bruins women’s intercollegiate soccer team traveled to Florida this past weekend to play back-to-back games against Johnson University Florida and Clearwater Christian College on Friday and Saturday.

The women, who had just recently beaten Johnson University Florida in a lopsided 8-0 victory, took them on again on Friday, winning with a 7-0 score.  “We stepped it up and didn’t play down our skill,” junior goalkeeper Tori Anderson said.

Sophomore Spencer Martin scored two goals in the first half, and a goal by sophomore Tessie Estrella and an own goal by Johnson University Florida brought the halftime score to 4-0. Martin was able to nab a hat trick after halftime with her third goal, followed by two more goals from sophomore Jennifer Wise and post-graduate student Annie Ubben. The Bruins ended the game with a 7-0 win to continue their winning streak.

The Bruins women still had to take on the tough Clearwater Christian Cougars before they could make the 12-hour trip back to Greenville. With a good night’s sleep and a quick training session, the Bruins were ready to compete with the Cougars.

“They’re [ranked] number one right now. So if we beat them, we’ll be number one,” sophomore Lauren Peek said. “I think we’re a lot stronger this year, and I think we can win [the championship].” The Cougars, the reigning NCCAA DII champions, defeated the Bruins 2-0 last season. The Bruins are ranked No. 5.

Both teams started out slowly. The Bruins, although unable to finish at the goal, played excellent defense and held Clearwater at bay. Anderson contributed outstanding goalkeeping to the cause as the Bruins held the score to 0-0 at halftime.

Neither team found any offense in the second half, and the 0-0 tie survived overtime and lasted until the final whistle. “The humidity and the turf field make it hard,” Anderson said. “We play ’til the whistle. That’s how it goes.”

The Bruins now have a 6-2-2 record for the season.